Tag: nutriton tips

I get emails on the time asking me tips ands questions about nutrition. Here are 6 fun and interesting kitchen nutrition tips for your Wednesday:

1. Toss pink grapefruit and orange segments into smoothies – Mixing this refreshing fruit in a blender breaks down its cell walls, which makes cancer-fighting lycopene more available for your body to absorb. Toss in some spinach too; the vitamin C from the grapefruit (or any citrus fruit) will help you absorb the iron in dark, leafy greens.

2. Tear your lettuce in advance – A study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that cutting romaine and iceberg lettuce a few hours before serving it can double its antioxidant content

3. Dice garlic, then let it rest – Maximize garlic’s powerful medicinal qualities (cancer-fighting compounds, antioxidants, vitamin C) by chopping, mashing, or pressing it and allowing it to sit on the cutting board for 10 minutes before cooking.

4. Pick dark chocolate over other kinds – Numerous studies have shown that dark chocolate (more than 70 percent cacao) can lower bad cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and aid in weight loss. In one study, volunteers who ate 3.5 ounces of it every day for a week raised their “good” (HDL) cholesterol by nine percent.

5. Use frozen berries– Frozen fruit and veggies have been shown to be better for you than fresh out-of-season produce, since they are picked and frozen when their nutrition is at their peak. See Easy Home Meals for more information on refrigeration and freezing tips.

6. Cook carrots whole– When carrots are cooked whole, they have 25 percent more falcarinol, a cancer-fighting compound, than carrots that have been chopped beforehand.

If you ever thought about training for a marathon, you know what commitment and effort it is. Proper marathon training and adequate nutrition is essential to peak performance as well as reducing your chance of injuries. I was so excited to learn about Dr. Susan Kleiner, a Ph.D. in sports nutrition, and I am thrilled to share her top five nutrition tips for marathon training:

Nothing beats the impact of hydration on performance. Before the race, let thirst be your guide to the finish line and use a sports drink to replace fluids during the race. If you are racing just to participate and finish, then drink when you are thirsty throughout the event. If you are racing to win or achieve your personal record then have a structured fluid replacement plan during the race and stick with it!

Getting the proper pre-and-post training nutrition is very important for daily recovery and fueling for the competition. Two important factors when picking meals or snacks before and after workouts are: the combination of carbohydrates and protein, and convenience. For a light pre-training meal try a USANA low-glycemic protein shake. Consuming low-glycemic foods provides sustainable energy, which is ideal for long distance training. When carbohydrates combine with protein, they deliver fuel to your muscles more rapidly. Moreover, the liquid snack easily empties from your stomach just before training or the race. For a post-training snack that contains a good amount of protein and fiber, grab a nutrition bar. Personally, I like to add a chocolate milk to enhance rehydration and boost recovery. They’re convenient and easy to consume after training.

Healthy vitamin D levels will do your training a world of good by supporting balanced hormone and metabolic function. Eat fatty fish, drink vitamin D fortified milk, and include a vitamin D supplement daily.

Put your food and supplements to work for you. Target most of your carbs around exercise (pre, during, and post) to maximize their fueling function. This also helps control body fat to keep you light on your feet. Supplement your training diet with all the B vitamins (thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and choline) to support optimal energy and protein metabolism.

Dr. Susan Kleiner, Ph.D, RD, CNS, FACN, FISSN, is a high performance nutritionist and foremost authority on nutrition for strength and power. In addition to having a Ph.D. in sports nutrition, she’s a founder and fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and the best-selling author of numerous books, including Power Eating—written specifically for athletes to build muscle, gain.